Study suggests that pre-zika microcephaly was underreported

São Paulo - The cases of microcephaly occurred before the arrival of zika to Brazil may have been more numerous than the occurrences reported by the Ministry of Health, according to a study done in Paraiba and published 10 days ago in a World Health Organization report Health Organization (WHO).
The study, conducted over four years by scientists of Pernambuco Heart Circle, in partnership with the Health Department of Paraiba, evaluated official databases with information from more than 100,000 babies born in that state.
However, the records of only 16,000 babies included data on the weight and circumference of the skull - the main indicator for microcephaly. The figures were disclosed by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
According to the study, coordinated by Sandra Mattos, the team expected to find three or four cases of microcephaly a year before the arrival of the virus.
But to do a thorough review of head circumference of babies, they found that the numbers may be up to a thousand times higher.
The study, up to 8% of babies born between 2012 and 2015 fit the criteria for diagnosis of microcephaly.
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Designing this percentage to all babies born in Paraíba, the study concludes that the State can be up to 4000 cases of microcephaly per year. ?? These findings raise questions about diagnosis and notification ??, says the study.